The Lead

"Supply chain can’t be seen as a ‘fallback’ position," said DHL Global Forwarding Middle Europe CEO Volker Oesau. "This means corporate culture needs to change — and that change must come from the C-level."

America’s high school graduation rate is at its highest point in four decades – three out of four students now get a diploma. But in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) in Ohio, Thomas Edison’s home state, the numbers remain grim: just 60 percent of students...

President Barack Obama is focusing on high-tech jobs in his bid to make progress on stagnant wages in this country. Obama has obtained commitments from more than 300 employers as well as local governments in 20 regions of the country to train and hire high technology workers...

Last year ended with some bad news: U.S. average hourly earnings shrank in December. The lack of competitive wages in the manufacturing industry contributes to the skills gap, or the shortage of qualified workers applying to available jobs. I had the opportunity to sit down with Advanced Technology Services...

The explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) holds huge potential for manufacturers in 2015. But in order to fulfill these promises, manufacturers will need skilled workers who can deploy the evolving technology on the plant side. As more and more companies migrate toward increased connectivity on...

Only a few short years ago, Michigan leaders talked excitedly about diversifying the state's economy beyond the auto industry, envisioning a Silicon Valley-style workforce that would be less dependent on manufacturing and more invested in technology and green...

The explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) holds huge potential for manufacturers in 2015. But in order to fulfill these promises, manufacturers will need skilled workers who can deploy the evolving technology on the plant side. As more and more companies migrate toward increased connectivity on...

The job market remains a frustrating place for America's 9 million unemployed — perhaps more so as hiring has accelerated along with job postings. The pace of job growth over the past three months was the fastest in 17 years. The gains spanned nearly every industry, and some employers have...

President Barack Obama's proposal to make two years of community college free will get a key test Friday as he travels to Indiana, a red state where making college more affordable and increasing graduation rates are squarely in the spotlight. Obama's plan is part of a proposed budget that increases taxes on the wealthy and aims to...

Last year's Manufacturing Day campaign involved nearly 400,000 participants at 1,679 total events, organizers said, smashing participation goals for the year. More than 260,000 people joined live events hosted by manufacturers between Oct. 3 and Dec. 12, while the remainder joined a dozen virtual...

Two Illinois colleges are planning to build a simulator that will allow coal miners to train how to react in emergencies without having to set foot in a mine. The simulator that Southeastern Illinois College and Illinois Eastern Community College plan to build will have features such as an imitation-smoke system...

The labor shortage in the supply chain and manufacturing industries has been well-documented, and increasingly as that shortage continues to grow. Corrie Banks and Kleo Landucci, executives at logistics services providing companies, can’t stress enough how they’d like to see fellow females continue to enter the supply chain workforce...

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills issued a record number of credentials last year to individuals seeking to join or advance in the precision manufacturing industry. The Virginia-based group, which sets metalworking skills standards, issues certifications and accredits training programs...

Donald E. Oberg, founder of Oberg Industries, knew the importance of training his employees so they had the skills and knowledge necessary for his company to make the complex metal components his customers needed. So he launched an employee training program soon after starting his company in 1948.

The skills gap, or the documented gap between the number of manufacturing jobs available and the number of talented workers available to fill those positions, was undeniably one of the hottest topics in manufacturing in 2014. In her article “Why The Manufacturing Skills Gap Is Serious,” Anna Wells, Executive Editor of...

Recently, I came across a number of stats that, for those of us in the manufacturing sector, paint a very bright picture of the foreseeable future. If, like me, you keep an eye on trends and an ear to the ground for good news, of particular interest to you might be a study conducted by the...

A southwestern Illinois community college plans to offer a petroleum drilling technology degree program this fall that is aimed at preparing graduates for careers in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Illinois signed off on long-awaited rules to govern the high-volume oil and gas drilling process within its borders...

Bloomberg speaks to Gail Mellow, president at LaGuardia Community College, about the Obama initiative to make community college free. Do we need more mechanics and plumbers, or does America need more entrepreneurs graduating from community colleges? Gail Mellow, president....

Increased investment in employee training can reduce the risk of a company's cyber security attack by up to 70 percent, according to a new study. The analysis, compiled by Pittsburgh-based Wombat Security Technologies with Boston research firm the Aberdeen Group, showed altering employee...

As the national economy gains momentum, industries like manufacturing and construction are migrating South to take advantage of states' right-to-work statuses. At the same time as these industries are growing in the South, the average age of workers getting higher and the interest level from students is...

Honda is opening a new training facility in central Ohio, along with a museum that pays tribute to the automaker's history in North America over a half a century. The company unveiled the $35 million Honda Heritage Center on Thursday in Marysville, where its North American operations are...

Many veterans returning from wars overseas face a new challenge at home: finding a job. Some are getting extra help to make the transition from combat to the cubicle. Wyatt Andrews met the vets who are learning a valuable new job skill...

SME’s annual Design for Direct Digital Manufacturing Competition is calling for high school and college student designers to submit custom designs featuring additive manufacturing. The competition is sponsored by the Direct Digital Manufacturing Tech Group, which is part...

Willie Pritchett is a Purdue man. He graduated in 2000 with an undergraduate degree in organizational leadership and minors in communications and computer science. He has an MBA from Indiana Institute of Technology. And if he had it to do again — he would not. Pritchett, an entrepreneur and...